Well, we still don’t know what kind of cancer it is. They’ve got it narrowed down to two kinds, but they couldn’t sort it out at the lab here. So, they sent the sample off to the Mayo clinic. (I always knew my girlfriend was exceptional! 🙂 We should hopefully have a diagnosis on Monday.

I’ve set up a Yahoo! group for folks who are interested in keeping up with the news, sharing cancer success stories and encouragement, and in making yourselves available for logistical and emotional support. If you want to be on it, just give me your email address and I’ll send you the instructions. (For those of you LJ members who are on my flist, I’ll post a link to it after this.)

I’ll post here as often I can and use this blog to get my personal thoughts down and spare the Yahoo! group members who are more interested in Fatima than in my self-indulgent ramblings (as it should be).

In the style of 2007, the year has ended and the new one begun with a flurry of change ….

* The house in Salida fell through. The appraisal came back as $20K than the agreed selling price. And that’s 20K that I don’t really have, especially for a 105 year old house that needs 2 new furnaces and may have some plumbing issues. So, I had to back out of the deal. Turns out that was a good thing for reasons soon to be revealed …

* I went to visit my folks over Xmas break. We had a fun time playing tourist in Charleston and Savannah. I got meet and hang out with her and her great friends in Atlanta.

* I also came out to my parents about Habiba, and I couldn’t have asked for better support. They were the poster parents for coming out: “You are old enough to make those choices for yourself. We just want you to be happy. In our minds, this is a positive thing because we know how much disappointment you’ve suffered in past relationships and we are happy that you have found someone to share things with. We look forward to meeting her.” Go, Mom and Dad!

* I got back to Boulder, and feeling free and strong from my parents’ endorsement, I had a week of feeling wonderfully close with Habiba, more in love than ever. We have even started making long term plans together. And then …

* Friday, she went in to a doc for a second opinion on this sinus infection that has been plaguing her for two months. They gave her a CAT scan and found a rather extensive growth throughout her sinus cavities on the right side and had begun to erode some of the bone in her face. Today, she had the biopsy. It is malignant. They are scheduling use to go in for more tests to see just what kind of cancer it is and how far it has spread.

We are choosing to stay hopeful. She is young (43). She is otherwise in great shape. And I’ve seen a number of friends and acquaintances go through successful cancer treatments in the past few years. It’s amazing what they can treat now. And, frankly, she is the most adoring partner I have ever known–everything I used to wish for but didn’t believe I could find–and I ain’t done with lovin’ on her.

More news as it arrives ….

Your thoughts and prayers are very welcome. Now, we’re off for a good night’s rest.